Apparatus for handling bricks in stacked units.



R. C. PENFIELD.

APPARATUS IOR HANDLING BRICKS IN STACKED UNITS. APPLICATION FILED JAN. I2, 1912.

L, l 599%?. Pafend Aug. 17, 1915.

3 SHEETSkSHEET l.

III

ANIA' R., C. PENF'IELD.

APPARATUS FOR HANDLING BRICKS FN STCKED U NITS.

*a APPLICATION FILED JAN. i2. I9I2. l Jlb e 3 SHEETSMSHEET 2.

Zrwag: L. R' www R. C. PENFIELD. HANDLING BRICK APELlcArIoN FILED JAN. 12, 19

SIN STACKED UNITS.

APPARATUS FOR may,

Patented Aug. 17, ISHS.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3- BAYMGNE 11. PENFIELD, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

APPARATUS FSR HANDLXNG BRICKS XN STACKED UNITS.

Application filed January 12, 1912. Serial No, 67G,26.

v Toelliwlwm :it may concern.'

Be'iit known that l, RAYMOND C. PnN- EiiiLD, a citizen of the `United States, and resident of New York city, county and State of New York, have invented an Improvement in Apparatus for Handling Bricks in Stacked Units, of which the following description, in connection with the accompanying drawings, is a specification, like letters on the drawings representing like parts.

This invention relates to apparatus for lifting and transferring bricks in stacked units of a type' having a series of spaced apart, parallel fingers adapted to enter they passages in vthelower part of the brick units, with provision tolaterally grip the bottom brick lines and lift them along vwith the rest of the stack, the apparatus being adapted to deposit the stacked units and be withdrawn. without disturbing the stacked formation.

Aprincipal object of the invention is to provide a simple, compact construction for the purpose stated, wherein a relatively movable member, shown as a lifting bail, is connected to lift the load on the parallel fingers after a limited relative yielding movement for operating the brick clamps, the connection from the bail to the lingers being a direct one without the interposition of any levers, lever combinations, or other indirect mechanical elements.

A further fea-ture ofthe invention relates to an improved arrangement, mounting, and` manner of adjustment of the compression springs between the brick engaging lingers and the lifting bail, so that the pressure from the lifting bail is directly transmitted from the equalizer bar carried thereby through these springs to the frame which carries the brick engaging fingers, the back- 4 ing for the springs having an improved adjusting means enabling the initial compression of the 'springs to be quickly aud/easily set in .adjustment as required. I, The invention will be better'understood 'from the following detailed description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, and will be thereafter pointed out in the appended claims.

lReferring to the drawings, Figure l is a rear elevation of the improved mechanism.

Specification of Letters latent.

Patented Aue. 17, 1915.

ig. 2 is a front view thereof. Fig. 3 is av plan. F ig. 4 is a side elevation, and Fig. 5`

is a detail of the clamping devices.

In the illustrative embodiment of the invention shown, a base bar or frame 1 is employed, of a length corresponding to that of the brick units to be handled, and to this bar are fixed a series of parallel, spaced apart brick engaging fingers 2, such space being slightly greater' than the width of a brick and the length of these fingers being, as shown, approximately that of a standard brick. since the particular form of the invention herein shown is designed for lifting units with a`thickness the length of one brick. The base bar or frame l has similar sets of upstandi'ng portions 3, 4 symmetrically arranged at either side of its center and to each set is fixed an upright framework 5 serving as a support for the tops of vertical, spaced apart, parallel guide bars 6, the lower ends of these bars fit-ting down into adjacent inner faces of the upstanding portions 8, 4. The vertical bars G serve as guides for the bails 7 which extend forwardly over the fingers 2, as seen at S, and rearwardly at 9 for 'connection to the cqual izer bar. These `bails are shown as provided with` anti-friction .rollers 10 engaging the bars il at front and rear and are provided with dej'iending extensions 11 fitted between the bars -G, these extensions having ears 12 extending rearwardly with anti-friction rolls 18 engaging the backs of the bars 6 at the lower portions thereof. The rearward eX- tensions 9 of the bails 7 are connected by means of adjustable links 1i with upstanding projections 15 fixed to an equalizer bar 16, which extends the length of the4 base frame, the connections 14 being spaced apart substantially equal distances from the center of said bar. From this bar, connection is made to operate the brick clamping devices in the respective' lingers by means of rods ing the bar i6 underneath pilevent 'the springs 2lv from drawing the rods too far upu a rd. The do\'i1\vai 'rl.ly extending shorter ends 2i of bell crank levers 18 are connectn ed to rods 25 which have their other ends pivoted to lever arms 26 mounted on vertical pivots 27 in the fingers, these arms having' rigid connection to other arms :28 to which the clamp plates 29 are pivoted, these plates being fitted in recesses 30 in a side of the lingers and being projected therefrom by the described connections as the lifting mechanism is raised to transport the brick units. Thus, as lifting impulse on the bail Y raises the equalizer bar 1G by means of the connecting rods li, the connections just described cause the moving of the clamp plates 29 out against the sides of the bricks between the lifting fingers to clamp them firmly against the adjacent lingers.

The principal lifting stresses are transmitted from the hails 7 through the equab izcr bar 16 to the baseframe l which cai ries the pivots 19 of the levers 18 which actuate the brick engaging lingers by means of stouticompression springs 31 interposed between seatsQ'p-,on the equalizer bar and at their upper ends on heads 33 carried at the Vlower ends of adjusting screw bolts 34 threaded in bars 35 fixed to the uprights 5 which, as described, are secured to the base frame. The/screw bolts 3i are hollow for the reception of guide rods 3G which extend up from the bottom seats through the springs and through the centers of these bolts. The bolts 34 have their peripherics threaded for most or all of their length and -provide an adequate range of adjustment ifirregulating the initial compression of springs 31. They may be clamped in adjusted position by set nuts 37 engaging the bars 35. As shown, the heads 33 are some little distance above the lower ends of the bolts 34, thus affording a centering guide over which the springs 3l are centered against the heads Sli. The bails 7 at either side arc connect-ed to a common lifting bar 38 having connection, shown as a central eye 39 for receiving the hook of a lifting crane or the like.

The compression springs 3l are prefer.- ably adjusted so as to be under some little initial tension and thus keep the balls 7 within the recesses 30 in the lingers 2 and only yield to permit the relative movement of the barils which effects the operation of the brick clamps as the stress of the load is brought thereon in lthe lifting operation; The present construction is particularly advantageous in that it provides a straight line direct connection from the bails 7 to the equalizer bar-16 and adirect action of the equalizerbar upon the compression springs 3l against the backing bars 35, which, form incassi a part of the main or base frame. The provision of the springs 3l at the opposite side of the slidable engaging portions of the hails and frame from the fingers 2, eiiects a balancing about this line of slidable engagement which may be termed the axis of lift, so that the balls with their depending portions move freely and Without binding on the guides of the base frame, and the freedom of relative movement between these parts is still further promoted by the antiiriction rollers 10, 13. The provision of the hollow screw bolts 3l as backings for the springs affords a. means of quick and easy adjustment of the tension of the compression springs as may be required under different conditions.

The structural details of my improved mechanism may be varied to a considerable extent without departing from the essential features as set forth, and I therefore do not desire to be limited to the illustrative form of such details shown, or in any other rese t, except as set forth in the appended claims.

Having described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

l. An apparatus of the kind described,- comprising a base frame having a plurality of brick engaging fingersA extending laterally therefrom, provided with brick clamping means, said frame having tvvo fixed upstanding portions, a vertically Inovable member mounted to slide on said upstanding portions, and having antifriction Abearings thereon, an equalizer bar actuated by said sliding member, a plurality of individual yielding connections from said bar to the brick clamping means, and a balancing 105 spring interposed between said bar and said frame. ,l 2. An apparatus of the kind described, comprising a base frame having a plurality of brick engaging fingers extending laterally '110 therefrom, provided with brick clamping means, said frame having twoiixed upstanding portions, a lvertically movable member mounted to slide on said upstanding portions, and having antifriction bearings thereon, an equalizer bar actuated by said sliding member, a plurality of individual yielding connections from said bar to the brick clamping means, a balancing spring interposed between said bar and said frame, and means to adjust the tension'of said spring. l 3. An apparatus of the kind described, comprising a frame having a set of brick engaging fingers provided with brick clamps at one side thereof, a bail in guided slidable engagement with said frame, an'equalizer bar having individual connections to the respective clamps and with positive operating connection from said bail, a balancing,we

spring interposed between sadbzu and said Intestimony whereofj have signed my frame, and means for adjustmg the untml 1mm@ to thls spclhcatlon, 1n the presence of -teuslou o snld sprmg, comprlsmg a nut two subscrlbmg Wltnesses.

threaded in bhe frame, having n head flu- RAYMOND C. PENFELD. 5 nshing a backing for the spring, nud also Vtnesses:

formed to serve as a guide' for :1 central rod H B. CHUM,

extending through the spring. C. P. MERTENS. 

